Rock in Rio

Guns N’ Roses presentation rises comments, but not the way it used to be.

By Murilo Quevedo; Vitor Fernandes

On the last September weekend and on the October’s first, in Rio de Janeiro, the earliest edition of Rock in Rio took place. It counted with artists like Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder, Shakira and Guns N’ Roses among others.

Axl Rose’s band finished the concert on October 2nd and their presentation was criticized worldwide. The magazines all around the world have recently reported Axl’s bad habits, saying that ‘the history of delays and irregularities of the band and the tension that comes with the constant risk of Axl's tantrum served as a warning’, and this time it was not different. Not only the Brazilian press, but also foreign press reported Axl’s performance as unstable because of several reasons. It was too long, started late and the band played unknown songs. He got on the stage wearing a bizarre, fluorescent slicker jacket and appeared stiff. He opened the presentation playing “Chinese Democracy”, a song of the newest album.

The rain was present all over the concert, which did not annoy Axl at all, but most of the public was not sharing his mood and went away before the concert’s end.

The Guns N’ Roses lead singer, who has not been able to reach his songs’ originals tones for some time now, also mistook the lyrics, for his performance declined, says the foreign press.

The band also came into the stage one hour and a half later causing the festival organizer, Roberto Medina, to claim in the national press for their “lack of commitment”. Guns n’ Roses defended themselves saying, “Guns N' Roses would like to set the record straight on Rock in Rio. The festival's inadequate production and the downpour of rain delayed the event”, which was published in Blabbermouth.net

Unlike the Brazilian press which published details of this presentation and the audience reaction, the international media outlets only published short notes about Axl’s bad performance.